About this book

Language: French

This book on the acoustic ecology of bats of Europe takes stock of the knowledge acquired by the author in more than twenty years of working in the field of ultrasonic detection. As a nocturnal animal, bats have developed a spatial tracking system by using sonar. Inaudible to the human ear, the calls of bats can be collected, recorded and analyzed using different devices and software.

To the first type of approach, a purely auditory one, the author adds another dimension: identification by computer analysis of ultrasound. With detectors and computer analyses becoming increasingly powerful, the described methods will allow readers to identify up to 85% of acoustic contacts typically found in Europe, conduct inventories and undertake increasingly detailed studies without disturbing the animals. This book covers 34 of the 42 species of European bats.

Michel Barataud tracks bats in Europe but also in Guyana and the Caribbean. Over the years, and with technological advances, he developed a method for high-throughput identification and motivated a vast network of naturalists. An educator at heart, he has trained hundreds of chiropterologists in ultrasonic analysis and is also known for his numerous publications.

This second edition features many improvements, including the integration of a chapter "Applications" and the addition of a new species (Eptesicus isabellinus). In addition the book includes a DVD-ROM where you will find sound samples illustrating the method and graphics needed to identify the species.